News & events

Review of Tomorrow’s Doctors

5 August 2008

The GMC has published the first of five bulletins profiling the work taking place surrounding Tomorrow’s Doctors.

Tomorrow’s Doctors sets out the GMC’s standards for the knowledge, skills and behaviours that undergraduate medical students in the UK should learn. These standards provide the framework that UK medical schools use to design their own detailed curricula and schemes of assessment.

The bulletin explains:

• why the document is being reviewed
• the initial aims and outcomes of the review and
• the next steps for delivery.

Read the Review of Tomorrows Doctors bulletin (32kb, pdf).

New guidance - Acting as an Expert Witness

25 July 2008

The GMC has today published new guidance for doctors who act as expert witnesses in court and tribunal proceedings.

The guidance expands on the principles in Good Medical Practice and explains how they apply to the work of the expert witness, and provides links to sources of further information and advice.

Read Acting as an Expert Witness. 

Read the press release.

GMC welcomes CMO report on revalidation

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has today (Wednesday 23 July) published a report on the future of medical revalidation.

The report sets out the principles and next steps for implementing this change to medical regulation across the United Kingdom.

Welcoming the report, the President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, said:

“The introduction of revalidation represents the biggest change to medical regulation in one hundred and fifty years.

“The GMC welcomes the opportunity to work with partners in healthcare organisations across the United Kingdom to develop a supportive process focussed on raising standards that will deliver benefits to both patients and professionals."

Medical revalidation - principles and next steps: the Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England's Working Group can be downloaded from the Department of Health’s website.

Student Fitness to Practise consultation

The GMC and the Medical Schools Council (MSC) are consulting on revised guidance, Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise, and other options proposed to promote consistency in student fitness to practise.

This guidance was published first in 2007 after an extensive period of consultation. We have now amended the guidance to take account of the full scope of fitness to practise issues including health and student support.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on:

1. Amendments to the guidance, including advice on health, student support and using the threshold and sanctions.
2. The additional options proposed to support medical schools in developing robust and consistent fitness to practise procedures.
3. Opportunities to engage and influence students about their professional values and behaviours.

The consultation is running from 27 June 2008 to 19 September 2008.

You can complete your response to the consultation online at https://gmc.e-consultation.net/studentftp.

Alternatively, email edconsultation@gmc-uk.org to request paper copies of the consultation documents.

Initial consultation - Consent to research

30 June 2008

The GMC is reviewing the guidance that it gives on involving patients in research. We are seeking preliminary views on the scope and content of new guidance that will supplement our recent publication Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together and replace the guidance on consent issues in Research: the role and responsibilities of doctors.

The consultation closes on Monday 11 August 2008.

Read more and participate in the consultation.

New research supports the potential for using patient and colleague questionnaires in the revalidation process

New research, commissioned by the GMC and published today (3 June), has confirmed that patient and colleague questionnaires may offer a reliable method for assessing the professional performance of UK doctors. The pilot study, led by Professor John Campbell, Foundation Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at Peninsula Medical School, involved 541 doctors, who were assessed by their colleagues and patients using standardised questionnaires developed by the GMC. 

The patient questionnaire focused on gathering the views of patients on a doctor’s communication skills, ability to explain conditions and treatments and to involve the patient in the decision-making process.  The colleague questionnaire asked that colleagues give their views on a number of key issues such as a doctor’s clinical knowledge, teaching skills and prescribing.

The White Paper on the regulation of Health Professionals, published in 2007, confirmed that patient and colleague questionnaires would become a key element in the revalidation of doctors in the future. This new research confirms that patient and colleague questionnaires, developed by the GMC, have potential as a means of collecting information regarding doctors’ performance.

This is an important study as it is essential that any such tools used for assessing the professional performance of doctors, as part of the revalidation process, are adequately researched and validated. 

The GMC has now commissioned the research team, led by Professor Campbell, to undertake more in-depth testing of the questionnaires across whole organisations and in different clinical settings. The outcome of this further research piece will help underpin work on evaluating the professional practice of doctors as part of the revalidation process.

Professor Campbell said, ‘The revalidation of UK doctors is an important development in the regulation of the medical profession. Only by adopting processes thoroughly grounded in research evidence can patients, society, and the medical profession have confidence in the evaluation of a doctor’s professional performance. This study provides that initial confidence. And, in line with aspirations recently expressed in the Government’s White Paper, ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’, these tools appear to offer doctors the possibility that they can provide real evidence in relation to their clinical practice. Our current work will provide further evidence on the utility of feedback obtained from patients and colleagues in identifying those doctors whose performance might require further scrutiny’.

View research study

Click on the link to view the full article in the Quality and Safety in Health Care journal online.

Consultation on changes to GMC guidance on reporting convictions

Our supplementary guidance on reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings was published alongside the new Good Medical Practice (GMP) in 2006. It provides advice to doctors on the extent of their duty (paragraph 58 of GMP) to report certain criminal and regulatory matters to the GMC.

It requires doctors to notify the GMC if, anywhere in the world, they accept a police caution (or a fiscal fine in Scotland), are charged with or convicted of a criminal offence or have their registration restricted or are found guilty of an offence by another professional regulatory body.

The guidance makes clear that doctors do not need to notify us about road traffic offences where they accept the option of paying a fixed penalty notice. But until now, the guidance has been silent on whether doctors have to notify us about other forms of fixed penalty notices.

We have amended the guidance to clarify doctors’ obligation to tell us about certain fixed penalty notices and other criminal and civil matters, including warnings for the possession of cannabis and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

Further information

This consultation closes on 18 July 2008. For more information about the consultation, please contact the Standards and Ethics team on 020 7189 5404 or email standards.consult@gmc-uk.org.

New guidance - Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together

The GMC has published new guidance for doctors on consent and decision-making. The guidance

• sets out the key principles of good decision-making, which apply to all decisions about care from simple treatment for minor and self-limiting conditions to major surgery
• takes account of changes in the law, in particular about making decisions when patients lack capacity
• reflects the shift in professional and public attitudes towards more patient-centred care
• contains practical advice on sharing information and discussing treatment options
• includes guidance on how to approach discussions about risk  

The guidance will come into effect on 2 June 2008 and will replace Seeking patients' consent: the ethical considerations. Registered doctors will receive a copy of the guidance booklet with the May edition of GMCToday. 

Download the new guidance

Download a PDF version of the new guidance. An online version with links to further information will be available on this website from 2 June 2008.

Press release

Read the press release.

How the guidance was developed

Read about how the guidance was developed (40kb, pdf).

Photographs

Photographs from theatre workshops that formed part of the consultation process.

GMC helps to open the gates for disabled medical students

28 March 2008

New guidance for medical schools was launched today at the General Medical Council (GMC).  The guidance outlines ideas and suggestions and offers practical advice to help them put adjustments in place to improve the accessibility of medical education for disabled students.

The guidance, Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students, was made possible through a partnership led by the GMC, financially supported by eleven medical schools, and match-funded by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills’ Gateways to the Professions fund.

The guidance is good news for those potential students who may have previously ruled out a career in medicine, believing their impairments to be a barrier to this field.  Martin Hart, Assistant Director of Education for the GMC, said,

“We are delighted to have led this project, and hope that it will encourage students who may otherwise have assumed that a career in medicine was not a possibility for them.  We are pleased to be part of an initiative which creates opportunities for all aspiring medics.” 

Medical schools have already begun to make adjustments for students with special requirements.  These include the implementation of hearing loop systems and the provision of specially modified stethoscopes for students with hearing impairments, and linking microscopes to CCTV screens for use in laboratory work for students with visual impairments.

Jemma Saville, a final year medical student at the University of Southampton, is partially sighted after her eyesight began to deteriorate during the first year of her degree.  She has firsthand experience of some of the adjustments medical schools can make.  She says,

“My medical school has been very supportive.  The staff have arranged extra teaching for me on subjects like anatomy, and provided presentations in large print so that I can read them with a magnifier.  I want other students to know that, with adjustments, an impairment or disability does not necessarily rule out a career in medicine.” 

Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education says,

"I am very pleased to see this guidance, which shows what can be done to help disabled students to realise their dream of a career in medicine. This is one of a number of projects which we have funded through the Gateways to the Professions Development fund, which aims to improve access to graduate jobs in the professions for people from a wider range of backgrounds.  Over a period of two years we have funded 24 projects to the tune of over £4 million."   

Videos of speeches

A range of disabled medical students, doctors and disability experts discussed the issues around opportunities for disabled people in medicine, at a conference held during the development of the Gateways guidance.

View videos of speeches by disabled medical students, doctors and disability experts.

Gateways guidance

The Gateways guidance Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students is available online.

View Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students.

Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice

17 March 2008

New GMC guidance published online today says that doctors must not allow their personal beliefs to compromise patient care. The guidance explores how doctors should deal with a range of dilemmas including abortion, the wearing of face-veils and male circumcision.  It also looks at patients’ own beliefs and how they can affect the doctor/patient relationship.

Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice has been developed in response to an increasing number of enquiries about doctors’ and patients’ personal, religious and moral beliefs. It expands on principles set out in the GMC’s core guidance, Good Medical Practice 2006 which says that doctors must not discriminate against patients by allowing their personal views to adversely affect their professional relationship.

The guidance recognises that all doctors have personal beliefs which may affect their day-to-day practice. It clarifies the distinction between conscientious objection to a procedure and discrimination against a patient or group of patients.

The guidance tackles questions such as:

• Is it ever appropriate for doctors to discuss matters of religious faith with their patients?

• A patient asks for abortion advice from a doctor who believes it is morally wrong. Is that doctor expected to refer the patient to a colleague?

• Does the GMC think female Muslim doctors should be able to wear a face veil at work?

• A doctor has been asked to circumcise a male child. There is no medical reason for the procedure. Should they refuse?

Dr John Jenkins, Chair, GMC Standards and Ethics Committee said:

“The GMC recognises that personal beliefs, values, and cultural and religious practises are central to the lives of doctors and patients. The guidance balances a doctors’ right to practise in accordance with their views and beliefs, and patients’ right to receive timely and appropriate medical care. We are clear that doctors must not mislead patients about the options available to them or leave them with nowhere to turn. We hope this guidance will help doctors understand how to apply the GMC’s principles in their day-to-day practice”.

Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf, Fellow, Interfaith Alliance said:

“The Interfaith Alliance represents thousands of people of different faiths, including both patients and doctors. We strongly support the GMC’s commitment to providing guidance for doctors on issues of belief and faith in clinical practice. Doctors are in a position of power in relation to their patients – this guidance makes it clear that any attempt by doctors to impose their religious or political views would be an abuse of that power.”

View the Personal beliefs and medical practice guidance.

Initial Consultation – Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information

3 March 2008

The GMC is reviewing its guidance to doctors, ‘Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information’. The current guidance was published in 2004 and consists of a booklet of high level principles of good practice and a supplementary booklet of Frequently Asked Questions. Read the guidance and frequently asked questions.

Although published in 2004, the current guidance is similar to that issued in 2000, and we have not consulted on this subject since 1998-2000, when there was considerable public debate about the common law, and the balance between the benefits of research/epidemiology and respect for the rights of individuals.
A working group, chaired by Dr Henrietta Campbell, the former Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, has been established to oversee a thorough review of the guidance. The group includes medical and lay members of the GMC as well as external members to provide expertise in psychiatry and research, where some of the most difficult questions arise.

In January 2008, this working group issued a call for individuals and groups, whether professional, public or patient oriented, as well as employers and others with an interest, to answer a set of questions to clarify views about the existing guidance and to identify (by way of examples) where the biggest challenges exist for doctors in balancing respect for patients against the benefits of information sharing. This initial consultation has now closed and will be followed either later this year or early next, by a formal consultation on a revised version of the guidance.

If you have any queries about the review please contact the Standards and Ethics Team on 020 7189 5404 or standards@gmc-uk.org.

PMETB to be merged with GMC

28 February 2008

The Secretary of State for Health has announced that PMETB will be merged with the GMC. The decision follows a recommendation made by Professor Sir John Tooke in “Aspiring to Excellence: Final report of the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers.”

President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, welcomed the decision saying:

“We welcome the DH announcement to merge PMETB with the GMC as recommended by Sir John Tooke in his recent report.  The merger will bring under one roof the regulation of all stages of medical education and will deliver real benefits for patients and the public, as well as for the medical profession. 

We look forward to working closely with PMETB during the transitional period to ensure that the good work PMETB has begun will continue. PMETB has made a significant contribution to postgraduate medical education in the UK and we are agreed that the momentum will be maintained.

It is also important to ensure a continuity of service so that medical regulation continues to command the confidence and support of the four key interest groups – patients and the public, doctors, the NHS and other healthcare providers and the medical schools and medical Royal Colleges.”

Read the Government’s response to the independent inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers (Department of Health website) (opens in a new window).

Good Medical Practice in Action is launched

6 February 2008

The GMC has launched an exciting new interactive web zone for doctors to bring its core guidance, Good Medical Practice, to life.

Good Medical Practice in Action invites the user to be the doctor in a series of ethical case studies which highlight some important issues addressed in the GMC’s guidance booklet.

The action starts with four patients in a waiting room. The user is able to click on one of the patients to watch and listen to their consultation with a doctor. As each ethical dilemma reveals itself, the user is called on to decide which option is the best match to the GMC’s guidance in Good Medical Practice. GMC Standards Committee member Dr Nicola Toynton gives feedback on the user’s decision, with links to the GMC’s website to view the guidance itself.

Each patient consultation presents dilemmas, which explore issues such as conscientious objection, communication skills, advertising, and reporting concerns about colleagues. For example, what should a doctor do when faced with the following situations?

Katy asks for help managing her panic attacks which are possibly connected to her illegal drug use. Dr Newell personally disapproves of Katy’s lifestyle, what should she recommend? 

• Mrs Melville asks cosmetic surgeon Mr Yannis about a second face-lift (she had her first eight years ago). Her GP is not in favour and is concerned that more surgery will be too risky. How should Mr Yannis proceed? 

• Jason is well-informed about his mental-health condition. His usual medication has been withdrawn and he wants to try out a new drug that he’s researched on the internet. It is very expensive. What should Dr Williams do next? 

• Brian is allergic to penicillin, but has been prescribed it in error by Dr Hargreaves, who is currently not working due to his wife’s death. Should Brian receive an apology? Who from? 

Dr John Jenkins, Chair of the GMC Standards and Ethics Committee said: “Since publishing a revised version of Good Medical Practice in October 2006, we’ve been developing new ways to communicate its messages to doctors. GMP in Action is part of this ongoing work and is designed to bring the GMC’s guidance to life for doctors in a way that a traditional printed booklet can’t.

“GMC guidance sets out the overarching principles we expect doctors to follow. In reality, the situations doctors face are complex and don’t always happen in isolation. GMP in Action is designed to reflect this, with each patient presenting the doctor with more than one dilemma. It will be a useful tool for all doctors to test their knowledge, whether they are experienced or just starting out in their careers. Patients will also get insight into the sorts of issues faced by doctors every day.

“This is our first use of interactive media to promote our guidance. We want as many doctors as possible to evaluate the scenarios and provide us with feedback as to how this new approach could be developed and made most useful for them.”

To get interactive with Good Medical Practice, go to: Good Medical Practice in Action (opens in a new window).

For a full list of the GMC’s ethical guidance go to: www.gmc-uk.org/guidance.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published its Business Plan for 2008

28 January 2008

The Plan outlines the work we will do to continue leading and supporting the modernisation of medical regulation, ensuring patient safety is at its core.

Speaking about the year ahead, Chief Executive of the GMC, Finlay Scott said:

“The GMC has changed considerably in the last ten years and 2008 promises to continue this process. Working with our key interest groups, we will continue to deliver high quality regulation that protects, promotes and maintains the health and safety of the public.”

The Business Plan sets out our objectives for the year ahead. Its six key aims bring together projects and activities across registration, standards, education and fitness to practise, including:

• Implementation of regulatory reform proposals set out in the 2007 White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety – the Regulation of Health Professional in the 21st Century

• Preparations for the implementation of revalidation which will provide assurance that every licensed doctor remains up-to-date and fit to practise;

• The transition to a reconstituted Council composed of equal numbers of lay and medical members; and

• Establishing the three board model for the oversight and coordination of all stages of medical education - undergraduate, post-graduate and continuing professional development.

The full version of the Business Plan can be found at:

http://www.gmc-uk.org/publications/business_plans/index.asp.

Medical professionalism road shows

10 January 2008

The GMC has teamed up with the King’s Fund and Royal College of Physicians to hold a series of road shows for medical students looking at the meaning of medical professionalism and the importance of professional values.

The pilot events, titled ‘Becoming a Doctor – Journey or destination?’, are part of the GMC’s student engagement strategy. They follow on from previous events by the King’s Fund and Royal College of Physicians looking at what the future holds for doctors.

The four road shows, running over January and February 2008, bring together students, staff and leading figures from the medical world to debate the role and importance of professional values amidst changing societal attitudes.

• Can professionalism be taught?
• Do younger doctors have a different understanding of professionalism?
• Should doctors be involved in managing the health service?
• Do you need to be a good person to be a good doctor?

Attendees will discuss these and other questions, and hear the views of high-profile speakers, including GMC President Sir Graeme Catto, King’s Fund Chief Executive Niall Dickson and Royal College of Physicians President Professor Ian Gilmore.

Join the discussion online

We have also created a discussion group on the networking website 'Facebook' and hope that the group will be a way of widening the debate, as well as providing useful links to resources on medical professionalism.

In order to join the 'Becoming a Doctor' Facebook group, you need to be registered with Facebook. If you do not yet have a Facebook account, simply go to www.facebook.com and sign up – registering only takes a few minutes and is free of charge.

Once you are a Facebook member, you can join the group by clicking on the link below:

Go to 'Becoming a doctor' discussion group

Section 60 order: Governance of the GMC

26 November 2007

The Health Care and Associated Professions Order 2008 was published today (26 November) ahead of a three month consultation period. The first in a series of Section 60 Orders, it will take forward some of the reforms identified in the White Paper: Trust Assurance and Safety - The regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century. A Section 60 Order is a statutory instrument made under powers set out in the Health Act 1999, which enables changes to the laws regulating healthcare professionals without requiring a new Act of Parliament (primary leglislation) to be passed.

For more information about the consultation on the proposed Section 60 order, please visit the DH website (opens in a new window).

GMC response to the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill

16 November 2007

Sir Graeme Catto, President of the General Medical Council said:

“The General Medical Council welcomes the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill as a further step towards implementation of the White Paper ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.’ The package of proposals we published in November 2006, which are reflected in the White Paper, provide the basis for a strong, independent system of health professional regulation into the foreseeable future.

“We are confident that our current arrangements for adjudication lead to consistent and high quality decisions. We have said we will work with the Government to ensure a smooth transition to an independent adjudication body, subject to a satisfactory agreement on the details. We also welcome the strengthening of local arrangements through the introduction of responsible officers.

“Our statutory purpose is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. It is important that the major changes which are being proposed in this Bill should engender patient trust together with confidence among doctors that they are being treated fairly.”

Download the Health and Social Care Bill (0.95mb, pdf).

Working with the Mental Capacity Act

08 October 2007

From 1 October 2007 this Act is fully in force in England and Wales. It impacts on all doctors working with or caring for adults (16+) who lack mental capacity (or have impaired capacity) to make their own decisions about health, social care and financial matters.

The Act makes clear who has authority to make decisions in certain situations and sets out statutory principles which must guide decision-making. 

Doctors have a legal duty to have regard to the Code of Practice in their day to day decisions about the treatment and care of incapacitated patients. So it is important that doctors take steps to familiarise themselves with the legal principles, and the provisions of the Code which are of most relevance to their areas of practice.

GMCtoday (Sept 2007) provides useful information about web resources from the Department of Health, England and the Welsh Assembly.

Any current GMC guidance published before 2005 should be read in conjunction with the Code of Practice. This mainly affects our booklets on Research and Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatments.

GMCtoday (May and July 2007) provides more information about the implications of the Act for GMC guidance.

It should be noted that we are currently re-drafting the guidance on Consent to reflect the new legal framework and experience with related legislation in Scotland. A new edition is expected to be published early in 2008.

The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2006

08 October 2007

The GMC and the Department of Health have been working collaboratively to modernise the regulation of medical practice in line with the wider reform of the regulation of healthcare professions.  This is with a view to improving public safety and the care of patients.

An Order amending the Medical Act 1983 will be implemented on 19 October 2007 focusing primarily on:

• The abolition of the separate system of limited registration that currently exists for international medical graduates and its replacement by a single registration framework for all medical practitioners
  
  
• New training and supervision requirements for recently qualified medical practitioners
  
  
• Further enhancements of the GMC's arrangements relating to doctors' fitness to practise
  

The amended version of the Medical Act will be available on the legislation page from 19 October 2007.

The abolition of limited registration and the introduction of new registration arrangements for medical practitioners qualifying outside the EEA.

GMC events at the 2007 party conferences

14 September 2007

The GMC will be participating in this year’s party conferences as part of the Health Hotel, a partnership of 36 organisations, including health charities and regulators such as the GMC, who work together to promote debate about health issues.

We are working closely with a number of other organisations in the Health Hotel to host fringes on patient safety and patient and public involvement in healthcare at the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences.

The GMC will be represented by our President, Sir Graeme Catto at the Labour and Liberal Democrat Conferences and our Chief Executive, Finlay Scott at the Conservative Conference. They will outline how medical regulation can enhance patient safety and how we have increased the level of patient and public engagement in our work.

Full details of the fringes are outlined below. If you would like any further information please contact a member of our Public Affairs team via publicaffairs@gmc-uk.org or on 020 7189 5394.

The egg timer debate: Is this NHS damaging your health?

When it comes to the safety of patients, is the NHS safe enough? This Health Hotel debate will look at how the NHS can be made safer for patients, and what can be done through regulation, communication and education. Presenting their different perspectives under a two minute deadline, the panel members will then take questions, leaving the audience to decide.

Location and speaker details

There will also be speakers from the Association of British Healthcare Industries, the Healthcare Commission, the Medical Protection Society and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Who knows best? Patient and public involvement in healthcare

The importance of patients and the public taking an active interest in their healthcare has arguable never been greater. There are different approaches in terms of theories and structures for involving users, but which are the most effective? Should engagement be on the basis of compulsion, partnership or something else?

Location and speaker details

There will also be speakers from Asthma UK, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and UNISON.

Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise

3 September 2007

The Education Committee established a joint working group with the Medical Schools Council in 2005. The aim of the working group was to consider constructive ways of improving student fitness to practise in the UK. The working group have consulted widely and the result is new joint guidance, Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise.

The guidance is aimed at medical students and all those involved in medical education. Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise covers the topics:

a) professional behaviour expected of medical students
b) areas of misconduct and the sanctions available
c) the key elements in student fitness to practise arrangements.

The guidance aims to promote the professional behaviours expected of medical students and help instil these behaviours in students. The guidance also aims to help medical schools reach decisions about a student’s fitness to practise and in this way develop consistency in approaches to student fitness to practise.

New guidance issued – Writing references

13 August 2007

New guidance on doctors’ responsibilities when Writing References is now available. The guidance is part of a series of supporting documents, designed to help doctors and the public understand how the principles in Good Medical Practice apply in practice.
 
Writing References provides more information for doctors on their responsibilities to provide only honest, justifiable and accurate comments when giving references for, or writing reports about, colleagues.

Guidance for doctors acting as expert witnesses

We regret the delay in issuing guidance for doctors acting as expert witnesses. The text is being finalised and we now plan to publish in September 2007.

GMC and Stonewall join forces

27 July 2007

Stonewall and the General Medical Council (GMC) have joined forces to help combat concerns that some doctors are not responding properly to the health needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

Research conducted by Stonewall during the consultation for the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 highlighted some of the problems faced by LGB people when trying to access services from doctors. These included:

• Failure either to examine or to respond to a patient properly, for example doctors that have not been willing to offer a smear test to lesbians
• Doctors refusing to accept someone as a patient because of their sexuality
• Doctors that have made offensive of discriminatory comments about LGB people and their sexuality
  

As a response to these concerns, an information leaflet has been produced which aims to inform LGB people of their right to complain if they feel they have been discriminated against by their doctor, and offers guidance on how they should go about this. The leaflet is the first the GMC has published for a specific group of patients.

Doctors wishing to practise medicine in the UK must be registered with the GMC, who already publish guidance for doctors to follow to ensure patients are not treated unfairly. Failure to follow this can put their registration at risk.

Ruth Hunt, Head of Policy & Research at Stonewall explains; “Stonewall is extremely pleased to be working with the GMC. We have heard from many men and women who have been treated differently by doctors just because of their sexual orientation. We hope this leaflet will reassure gay people that they can, and should, complain when they receive substandard care, and that their complaint will be taken seriously.”

Dr Ed Borman, GMC council member, says: "The GMC wants to make sure that all patients can access appropriate healthcare without difficulties. We are working together with Stonewall to ensure that LGB patients do not encounter any barriers to their medical care. The GMC sets out the principles of good practice in our guidance to doctors Good Medical Practice and can take action where this guidance has not been followed."

Download the Stonewall-GMC information leaflet (271kb, pdf)

Further information about how patients can complain about their doctor, including the leaflet itself, can be viewed in our Concerns about doctors section.

GMC Seminar Workshop on Trust, Assurance and Safety - Monday 16 July 2007

16 July 2007

The GMC hosted a seminar today (16 July) focusing on our plans to take forward key areas in the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.

The event was aimed at senior representatives from organisations with an interest in the delivery and regulation of healthcare.

Read more about the event and watch extracts from the speeches online.

GMC Seminar Workshop on Trust, Assurance and Safety - Monday 16 July 2007

13 July 2007

The Royal Society, 6 - 9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/publication.asp?id=1878)

The seminar will focus on the GMC's plans to take forward key areas in the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century. This event is aimed at senior representatives from organisations with an interest in the delivery and regulation of healthcare, and provides an opportunity to consider the key areas in greater detail.

Provisional Agenda

• Registration & Breakfast 9 - 9.50am.
• Presentations from the GMC’s Chief Executive Finlay Scott and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Martin Marshall.
• Breakout discussion groups will consider the GMC's plans on a range of issues such as preparing for the introduction of Licences to Practise; translating Good Medical Practice into an effective framework for relicensing and revalidation; handling concerns about doctors (including changing the standard of proof); and education issues in the context of revalidation.
• The seminar will conclude with lunch at 1pm.

To Register

The event is now full. A round-up of the event will appear on this website.

Workshops on Consent

22 June 2007

As part of the consultation on the new guidance on consent and decision-making we have held a series of five workshops across the UK in May and June. The aim of the workshops was to provide an opportunity for doctors, patients and carers to discuss the issues that can arise when a patient’s ability to make decisions about their care is impaired or fluctuating.

An invited audience of patients, carers and doctors watched a short play about a patient, Will, who needs treatment for a physical condition but whose ability to make decisions is affected by early-stage dementia. The play followed Will and his wife and carer, Helen, from an appointment with their GP through emergency admission to hospital and onto the surgical ward.  The audience was then invited to comment on and discuss their views and concerns about the various consultations, and to take the place of the actors to show what they would do differently in order to get a better outcome.

All of the events generated interesting discussion and the feedback from participants was very positive. Issues discussed at the workshops included the importance of good communication, giving patients time to absorb and reflect on the discussions and information, the need to see obtaining consent as part of the process of involving patients in decision-making and how doctors should explain risks to patients. The information gathered from these events will feed into the wider consultation and will inform the content of the new guidance, which will be published in early 2008.

We would like to thank the National Theatre for scripting and performing the play, and the participants for their interest and enthusiasm. Thanks are also due to the Alzheimer's Society, the Scottish Dementia Working Group, Age Concern in Northern Ireland and the Dementia Care Partnership, Newcastle.

Pictures from the workshops

Take part in the consultation

The GMC is holding a public consultation on new draft guidance for doctors on issues around consent and good practice in decision-making.

President congratulates Professor Husband

18 June 2007

GMC President Sir Graeme Catto offered his congratulations this week to Professor Janet Husband, who was awarded Dame of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Dame Janet, who is a Member of the GMC and sits on the Standards and Ethics Committee, received the honour for services to medicine. The award recognises her work as a world renowned figure in radiolology and in the development of cancer services nationally. Dame Janet is also Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and President of the Royal College of Radiologists.

Sir Graeme said: "I am delighted that Professor Janet Husband's many achievements in the field of radiology and her contribution to the development of national cancer services have been recognised in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List.

"Janet makes a real contribution to the General Medical Council and her leadership of the Royal College of Radiologists in recent years has helped drive forward professional standards."

GMC approves two new medical schools

13 June 2007

From today four medical schools in the UK will, for the first time, be able to award their own primary medical qualifications. The schools have all completed a quality assurance program carried out by the General Medical Council.

The four schools include two new medical schools, University of East Anglia Medical School and Peninsula Medical School. Two existing medical schools, Warwick Medical School and Cardiff Medical School can now begin awarding degrees independently from their parent universities, having completed the GMC’s Quality Assurance program. This brings the total number of medical schools as recognised in the Medical Act from 23 to 27.

Part of the GMC’s responsibility as the UK’s medical regulator is to set standards for basic medical education and to ensure that these standards are met. To do this the GMC regularly visits and assesses medicals schools. New schools must pass the GMC’s thorough assessments before they can award degrees. The GMC sets the standard that students must demonstrate to graduate but schools devise their own curriculum to enable students to meet the standards. A quality teaching environment will enable medical students to put into practice the principles that the GMC expect of doctors throughout their careers.

Professor Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC Education Committee says:

"We work closely with new medical schools, engaging with them well before their first intake of students. Under our Quality Assurance for Basic Medical Education program, we put the schools through a rigorous five-year assessment, taking account of developments in educational theory and research, and professional practice.

"For this work we bring in a diversity of educational, lay and medical experts, who can highlight good practice and also share innovations in medicine across a range of specialist fields.

"'Tomorrow’s Doctors’, our guidance for medical schools, is designed to take a practical, outcomes-based approach, with emphasis on ensuring that medical students are going to be able to put into practice the principles laid out in ‘Good Medical Practice’, our core guidance for doctors."

The GMC has pioneered a world-class quality assurance framework designed to drive high standards across medical education. It is in the interests of both doctors and patients that the UK has the highest quality of training and medical education which promotes equality and values diversity in order to prepare medical students for a career in medicine.

For further information about our role in Education, please see our Education section.

Registration consultation - registration regulations and procedures

08 June 2007

The GMC is holding a consultation on aspects of our registration regulations and procedures.

We are committed to a process of open and inclusive consultation before we make changes to our rules or procedures. This involves listening to views from all those the procedures may affect.

We are consulting on registration regulations and procedures, relating to:

1. The procedures to be followed when dealing with applications for registration and the maintenance of the register; and
2. The form and content of the register.

This consultation runs from 8 June 2007 to 10 August 2007.

Download the consultation documents

You can use the links below to access the consultation documents.

• Consultation document (46kb, pdf)
• Draft registration decisions arrangements of procedures document (85kb, pdf)
• Draft Form and Content of the Register Regulations (25kb, pdf)

How to comment

If you wish to respond to this consultation you can do so by either e-mailing spconsultation@gmc-uk.org or by sending your response to:

Catharine Sharman
Strategy and Planning Policy Adviser
General Medical Council
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN

Sir Graeme is re-elected

15 May 2007

Sir Graeme Catto has been elected, unopposed, to serve as President of the General Medical Council for a further term from 1 July 2007, until 30 June 2009.

Sir Graeme has served as President of the General Medical Council since 1 February 2002. Sir Graeme is Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Aberdeen. He was knighted in 2002 for services to medicine and medical education.

Commenting on his re-election Sir Graeme said:

“The GMC has implemented a number of major reforms during my time as President, reforms which were necessary to ensure that the regulatory system for doctors commands the confidence and support of the public and the profession.

"Regulation is a dynamic process – it should not stand still. I look forward to leading the Council as we begin this next significant period of work.”

BSI certifies GMC to world’s best information security standard

30 April 2007

The British Standards Institute (BSI) has presented the ISO 27001 (Information Security Standard) to the General Medical Council (GMC).

The ISO 27001 security standard involves an audit of the many ways information is handled within an organisation. This involves checking information is accurate, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained and that information is available when it is needed.

Compliance with this standard provides assurance that the GMC is using best practice in handling information safely and securely. Achieving the standard is not a one-off event but involves ongoing assessment and review, and undertaking corrective action where necessary to ensure the effectiveness of procedures.

Neil Hannah, Managing Director of the BSI, presenting the award to the GMC said:

"The GMC is one of just a small but growing group of organisations who have successfully achieved this standard. Others include the Food Standards Agency, BUPA, Camelot, Betfair, BAE Systems, Capita, HBOS, Paypoint and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

"This standard is widely considered to be the most comprehensive set of security best practice controls available and encompasses everything from people to physical environment to IT systems."

Neil Roberts, Director of Registration and Resources for the GMC, commented:

"We’re very pleased to be receiving this award, it is a measure of the progress we have made since 2003 in upgrading our systems and enhancing the security culture throughout the GMC.

"The nature of our work means that the GMC holds sensitive information about doctors and others. We have a duty to ensure that we handle all such information appropriately to minimise any risk of a security breach and for this reason, we wanted our systems and procedures to be audited against a benchmark that is respected worldwide.

"In the last four years we have made major investments in our infrastructure and our people, funded primarily through savings emanating from the relocation of work to Manchester and a host of other initiatives aimed at improving productivity. Certification to ISO 27001 is tangible evidence that this approach is bearing fruit and that we take very seriously the task of improving our capacity to provide doctors, employers, patients and the public with the information they need in a safe and secure manner."

The GMC completed work on implementing this standard within its Fitness to Practise directorate in 2006, and is now rolling this standard out across the rest of the organisation.

Fitness to Practise consultation

17 April 2007

The GMC is consulting on proposals to change our rules for disposing of cases consensually at the investigation stage of our fitness to practise procedures.

We are also consulting on revised guidance to our Fitness to Practise Rules.

The consultation runs from 17 April 2007 to 17 July 2007.

The New Doctor

11 April 2007

The GMC and the PMETB have jointly agreed the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme, which foundation programme providers must meet.

Also agreed are the Outcomes that from 1 August 2007 provisionally registered doctors must demonstrate before full registration is granted.

The outcomes and standards have been revised from those contained in The New Doctor (2005) following a consultation in 2006 by the GMC and PMETB. The greater part of the detail from The New Doctor (2005) is now contained in the Curriculum Framework for the Foundation Years (Foundation Programme curriculum) developed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Foundation Programme Committee. The GMC Education Committee has approved the Foundation Programme curriculum, which means that provisionally registered doctors (F1 doctors) who successfully complete the foundation curriculum and can demonstrate the F1 outcomes will be eligible for full registration with the GMC.

Government White Paper - GMC response

21 February 2007

The GMC has issued its response to the Government White Paper on healthcare regulation published earlier today (Feb 21).

On this website you can

• Read the GMC's statement in response to the White Paper
• View the White Paper (DoH website)
• Read what other organisations are saying about the White Paper

The GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Professional Regulation

You can download the GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Regulation and the letter submitted to the Secretary of State here:

• Download the GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Regulation - Nov 2006 (528k, pdf)
• Download the letter to the Secretary of State (85k, pdf)
• View the GMC press release
• Comment from the Health Minister

Equality Scheme

04 December 2006

As part of our commitment to valuing diversity and promoting equality we have today published our Equality Scheme.

We involved organisations and the public in developing our scheme and welcome any comments on it.

Comments should be emailed to secretariat@gmc-uk.org.

Our Committee for Diversity and Equality will monitor progress on the activities identified in the action plan.

View our Equality Scheme.

GMC statement in response to the Court of Appeal judgment

26 October 2006

Chief Executive, Finlay Scott, said:

"This appeal was about protecting the public interest. The public must be confident that doctors and other professionals, who give evidence in court proceedings, can, if necessary, be held to account by their regulator. We did not accept that the GMC should be prevented from using its statutory powers when we judge it to be necessary; and the Court of Appeal has confirmed that we were correct.

"We are very pleased with today’s decision that there is no immunity from action by the GMC and other regulators. The Court of Appeal has upheld our view that the GMC is free to act to protect the public when a doctor has fallen significantly below acceptable standards. This is a very important point of law.

"We have consistently recognised that it cannot be in the public interest if doctors are deterred from giving evidence, honestly and truthfully, and within their competence. However, the GMC did not believe that the solution lay in extending the principle of immunity in a way that placed doctors and other professionals beyond the reach of their regulator. We are very pleased that the Court of Appeal agrees."

Future of Medical Regulation - GMC consultation event with the prominent thinktank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) considers key issues in Good Doctors, Safer Patients

5 October 2006

As part of our ongoing process of engagement, the GMC, in partnership with prominent think tank IPPR, hosted a seminar workshop on 5 October to consider issues arising from the report of the Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, 'Good doctors, safer patients'.

This report made wide-ranging recommendations on medical regulation about which the Department of Health is currently consulting. Click here to read consultation. NOTE – this consultation closed on 10 November.

The seminar attracted about 80- 100 attendees from across the UK and brought together representatives from each of the GMC's key stakeholder groups; patients, doctors, employers, educators and academics as well as other healthcare regulators and government officials. The event was held under Chatham House Rules of anonymity.

A presentation was given by Finlay Scott, Chief Executive of the GMC, which set out the context of the report from Sir Liam Donaldson and the principles that will underpin the GMC's response. Click here to download this presentation (MS Powerpoint).

A summary of the GMC/ippr Seminar Workshop (45k, pdf) on 'Good Doctors, Safer Patients' can also be viewed.

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